INT. XIAN'S PRISON - DAY
The air in the black iron cage is cold and still. The Furious Five and Zhen are chained, the Obsidian Iron shackles a constant, draining weight.
Heavy footsteps approach. Xian appears before their cage, his gaze sweeping over them before locking onto Tigress. A slow, strange look of recognition dawns on his face.
XIAN: "The tiger. The strongest of this generation's Five. I recognize the spirit."
TIGRESS: (Her voice a low growl of defiance) "We are nothing alike, traitor."
Xian gives a cold, humorless smile, unfazed by her defiance. He speaks, his voice a chilling monologue.
XIAN: "For centuries, I was a statue. A forgotten fairy tale while the world moved on without me. I felt my name, my legend... my very existence... get erased by time. That is the only true defeat. To be made into... nothing."
The Furious Five listen in stunned silence, the sheer pain and madness in his words washing over them.
XIAN: "I chose to survive. I learned that honor and loyalty are meaningless if you are forgotten. The only thing that lasts is absolute power."
As he speaks, a massive gorilla captain approaches and kneels.
GORILLA CAPTAIN: "Master Xian. Our scouts have returned. The masters of the outlying provinces are all secured." He pauses. "There are only three high-value targets remaining... all in the Valley of Peace."
A cruel smile spreads across Xian's face. This is the final step.
XIAN: "Excellent. Take the First Legion. We march now... to complete the collection."
He turns to leave. He reaches the massive doors of the prison block, then pauses and looks back over his shoulder, his gaze falling directly on Tigress.
XIAN: (His voice a low, chilling promise) "Enjoy your final hours in this cage. Soon, your names, your legacy, everything you fought for... will be erased. You will all finally know what it feels like to be truly forgotten."
He departs without another word. The main doors slam shut, and the thunderous sound of a massive army marching away echoes through the fortress, leaving the prison block in relative quiet.
The heroes look at each other, the horrifying news sinking in.
CRANE: (His voice a tense whisper) "Only three left... He's going for Po, Shifu, and Master Yang."
VIPER: "That isn't just conquest. It's personal. He wants to erase every last one of them."
MONKEY: "Yeah, the guy's got issues. I haven't seen a glare that intense since Tigress found out I used her meditation cushion for a pillow fight."
Tigress shoots Monkey a look, but her focus is on the threat.
MANTIS: "Can we focus?! He's still going after Po! And we're stuck in this stupid, chi-sucking cage!"
A heavy silence falls over the group as the reality of their situation sinks in. After a long moment, Tigress's eyes narrow. She spots Zhen's long, flexible tail twitching nervously.
TIGRESS: (Her voice a low, urgent whisper) "Zhen... Your tail."
Understanding immediately, Zhen uses her flexible tail to retrieve a hidden hairpin from her sash. With incredible dexterity, she uses her tail to guide the pin to the lock on her own shackles. They click open.
TIGRESS: (Her voice an urgent command) "Go. Now. You heard him. Warn Po."
ZHEN: "I can't just leave you!"
TIGRESS: "There is no time! Go!"
With tears in her eyes, Zhen picks the cage door lock. It creaks open, and she slips into the shadows. The Furious Five watch their last hope disappear into the darkness.